FAQ

In case you have any other questions, don't hesitate to contact our support.

VM Explorer

Can I backup a running VM?

Yes, the VM Explorer® will create a snapshot of your running virtual machine and backup the snapshot. The ESX/ESXi VM will still run during the entire backup process.
As far as it concerns the Hyper-V VM, it depends on the guest OS which may be put into saved state during the snapshot process.

Where can I find the user manual?

The user manual is installed with VM Explorer® to your program file folder. You can also find a shortcut from your Windows start-menu > Trilead > VM Explorer to the documentation folder.

Which TCP ports are required?

For ESXi Servers:
For ESXi editions only TCP Port 443 (HTTPS) is required
If the option 'Use VMX Agent on ESXi' is enabled, Ports 22(SSH), 443 (HTTPS), 62000-65000 are required.

To verify the ESX firewall you can run the following command:
esxcfg-firewall -q
To modify manually your firewall please run the following command:
esxcfg-firewall -o 2500:3000,tcp,in,VMX-Exploreresxcfg-firewall -o 2500:3000,tcp,out,VMX-Explorer

If you are copying from/to ESXi (using the agent)/Linux/FreeBSD, you have also to open the following ports on your ESX server:
esxcfg-firewall -o 62000:65000,tcp,in,VMX-Exploreresxcfg-firewall -o 62000:65000,tcp,out,VMX-Explorer

For Linux and FreeBSD servers:
For Linux and FreeBSD servers the port 22 (SSH), 62000-65000 are required.

For PC running VM Explorer
The port 111 (VM Explorer NFS service) is required in order to use automated backup functionality.

How can I test VM Explorer Pro Edition?

Just download the free edition of VM Explorer® and request a Trial Key. After installing the trial key you can test all features of the Pro Edition.

Can I get faster backup performance on ESXi?

Yes, but Version 1.6 or higher is required: Verify your ESXi Server Settings in VM Explorer®. Switch to 'Expert Settings' tab and enable the 'Use SSH' option and the 'Use the VMX Agent on ESXi' option. This will make the backup job faster.

Can VM Explorer backup VMs using thin provisioning?

Yes, VM Explorer® can backup these VMs.
Thin disk on ESX/ESXi server is based on file system, therefore, under certain circumstances, when a backup is performed full disk is backed up.
It is possible to convert disk as thin after backup/restore process. When you configure a backup in backup setup dialogue switch to "Files & Disks" tab and enable "After backup convert disk as thin".

Please note:

if target server is set to "same host as VM" thin disks are transferred directly as thin disk

if target server is an ESX/ESXi host thin disks are converted to thin after backup/restore process

if target server is not ESX/ESXi thin disks are backed up as full.

Incremental backup for licensed ESXi host (not the free edition), with at least "Essential" license, transfers and backups only used space and not full disk space. On the other hand incremental backup for ESXi free edition backups full disk space.

Please note:

the disk must be located on a VMFS volume (backing does not matter).

the virtual machine must have had no (zero) snapshots when changed block tracking was enabled

I get the error: Download error: Insufficient system resources exist to complete the requested service

If VM Explorer® is installed on Windows Server 2003 or Windows 2000, please see the Microsoft Knowledge base article KB 304101 http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304101 to resolve the issue.

Add/Manage an ESXi server with a non-root/non-administrator user

For ESXi 5.0 or higher:

configure a new role on the ESXi server:

using vSphereClient open the Home overview

choose role and a new role

to backup give the permission to the role: Datastore, Virtual Machine

to restore and replicate you need to add the Resource permissions

to incrementally backup/replicate you need to add the Global -> Licenses permissions

configure a new user on the ESXi server:

using vSphereClient open Local User & Group tab

add a new user and check "Grant shell access to this user" option

assign the previously configured role to the user

By default ESXi does not allow other roles than Administrator to connect with SSH. In order to allow any other user to connect through SSH, follow these steps:

open an SSH connection to the host (with an Administrator user)

edit the file /etc/security/access.conf: vi /etc/security/access.conf

edit the line where the newly added user is mentioned, change the minus (-) sign with a plus (+), for example:
change -:trilead:ALL to +:trilead:ALL

You can now open VM Explorer and configure the server using the newly created user.

Please note:

We strongly advise to configure the root/Administrator in VM Explorer

You need to enter the root password in order to be able to use the Agent option. In this case root password is only used into the ssh shell.

Incremental backups using VD Service (CBT) from ESXi 6.0.X servers may be corrupted.

Cause:
This is a VMware ESXi issue in CBT logic that affects ESXi 6.0.X servers prior to patch ESXi.6.0.3247720

As described in the following VMware KB (http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2136854), the issue occurs when you run virtual machine backups which utilize Changed Block Tracking (CBT) in ESXi 6.0; the CBT API call QueryDiskChangedAreas() might return incorrect changed sectors that results in inconsistent incremental backups.

All incremental backups done from ESXi 6.0.X server prior to patch ESXi.6.0.3247720 should be considered as corrupted.

Solution:
Update all ESXi 6.0 servers to the latest available patch and replace all incremental backups previously made.
Force an initial new full backup by resetting Changed Block Tracking (CBT) of all the VMs to backup, as described in the following VMware KB: http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2139574

Licensing & Ordering

How can I buy VM Explorer?

You can buy it using our online store. Payment options are Master Card, VISA or invoice. If you choose one of the credit cards, the license keys will be issued immediately after your order. If you choose invoice, the keys will be sent to you after the invoice has been paid.

How does licencing exactly work?

HPE VM Explorer is licensed by physical CPU sockets within hypervisor hosts that contain VMs to be backed-up. Each instance must be licensed with a Starter Pack, and additional CPU sockets can be purchased to meet your environment.
HPE VM Explorer Professional Edition Starter Pack includes the license to use (LTU) for 4 (four) CPU sockets.
HPE VM Explorer Enterprise Edition Starter Pack includes the license to use (LTU) for 6 (six) CPU sockets.
Either HPE VM Explorer Professional Edition Starter Pack or HPE VM Explorer Enterprise Edition Starter Pack is obligatory. Individual CPU Socket additions are applied on top of Starter Packs.

What does VM Explorer update protection cost after one year?

Annual maintenance and support is charged at a percentage of your total license fee.